Telkom Indonesia Unveils Plan to Make Indonesia a Global Undersea Cable Hub, Announced at Bali Conference

At the opening of the Bali Annual Telkom International Conference (Batic) 2026 in Nusa Dua, Badung Regency, Bali, on August 26, 2026, Telkom Indonesia President Director Dian Siswarini announced a strategy to position Indonesian waters as an alternative global undersea cable route, citing rising geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea and the Middle East, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.

Through its Indonesia Cable Express (ICE) network, Telkom is strengthening core corridors across intra-Asia, Trans-Pacific, and Asia-Europe routes, with planned expansion into Europe-Middle East-Africa, Trans-Atlantic, and US-Latin America connections. Telin CEO Abdul Rahman Ansyori noted growing interest from foreign firms, including US companies seeking to avoid South China Sea routes, in cables such as the Bifrost line connecting Manado to the United States.

Telkom invests roughly 18-20% of its annual consolidated revenue in digital infrastructure and currently operates a fiber optic network spanning 545,011 kilometers and 34 international undersea cable systems. While the conference was held in Bali, the announcement concerns national-level digital infrastructure strategy, with no indication of direct impact on tourism or daily life on the island at this time.